The funding supports 77 projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. It is meant to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydropower generation, and provide water treatment. The tranche of cash encompasses 14 projects totaling $118.3 million in the Colorado River Basin, and the announcement follows the release of five alternatives last month that will be analyzed as part of the post-2026 operations for the Colorado River Basin.
“Reclamation is committed to utilizing these historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revitalize our infrastructure for continued reliability and sustainability for the next generation,” said Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Roque Sanchez. “These facilities are essential to the West as they provide water for families, farms and Tribal communities, while also producing hydropower and recreation opportunities for communities throughout the Basin.”
The projects selected for funding are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 77 projects selected for funding are efforts to restore canal capacity, sustain water treatment for Tribes, replace equipment for hydropower production, and provide maintenance to aging project buildings.
The announcement also comes on the heels of a USDA funding announcement for additional water savings in the Basin.
As climate change has accelerated over the past two decades, the Colorado River Basin experienced the driest period in the region in over one thousand years. In June, the Interior announced a $700 million investment from the Investing in America agenda for long-term water conservation projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin. This investment has the potential to save more than 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead and will fund projects like water distribution structures, advanced metering infrastructure, farm efficiency improvements, canal lining, turf removal, groundwater banking, desalination, recycling water, and water purification. These projects are critical for enhancing the long-term drought and climate resilience of the Colorado River’s Lower Basin, Interior said.
The basin provides water for more than 40 million people, fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states, is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations and two states in Mexico, and supports 5.5 million acres of agriculture and agricultural communities. Despite improved hydrology in recent months, a historic 23-year drought has led to record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Biden administration has led an effort to address the ongoing drought and to prevent the Colorado River System’s reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations, threatening water deliveries and power production.
Glen Canyon Dam impounds Lake Powell, the largest storage unit of the Colorado River Storage Project, and provides water for a 1,320 MW hydroelectric powerhouse. Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead and provides water for a 2,078 MW hydropower plant.
A full list of projects selected in the announcement is available here.
